Reports: Houston-bound jet makes emergency landing in San Antonio

Reuters news service is reporting that a Continental Airlines Boeing 737 jet that had just taken off from San Antonio International Airport was forced to make an emergency landing back at the airport on today because of a strong odor of chemicals on the plane:

“There was a report of a strong chemical odor in the cabin,” San Antonio airport spokesman Rich Johnson said. “They then turned around and landed safely.”

At least four people were treated for respiratory distress, firefighters said.

The Houston-bound plane took off shortly before 9 a.m. local time and immediately returned to the San Antonio airport. The plane landed away from the main terminal and firefighters wearing hazardous materials suits entered the aircraft.

Flight 7 carried 146 passengers and six crew when it left San Antonio International Airport for Houston about 8:30 a.m. local time today, said Christen David, a spokeswoman for United Continental Holdings Inc., the airline’s parent company.

Passengers were being evaluated by medical personnel at the airport, and a hazardous materials crew was examining the Boeing Co. 737-800, Rich Johnson, an airport spokesman, said in an interview. The source of the odor hadn’t been determined, he said.